Means for retarding and steering vessels.



- No. 757,385. PATENTED APR.- 12,1904.

A. ZERBE.

MEANS FOR RETARDING AND STEERING VESSEL$.

APPLIGATION Hum JUN; 25, 1903.

no nonnn.

Witnesses m: nonms PETERS co. mom-mm. wAsmNsYoN. n. cy

Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

AARON ZERBE, OF ZERBE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR RETARDING AND STEERING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 757,385, dated April 12, 1904.

Application tied June 25,1903. Serial No. 163,072. (No model.)

T0 aIZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON ZERBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zerbe, county ofSchuylkill, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improve ment in Means for Retarding and Steering Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in means for retarding the speed of vessels and steering the same, and has for its object to provide mechanism which will be secured to the rear of the vessel which may be easily manipulated from the interior of the same, so as to cause the speed of the vessel to be retarded to a greater or less degree, as oocasion requires; and this invention is intended as an improvement over a patent granted to me July 12, 1902, for a device for retarding the speed of vessels, No. 7 04,7 29, and in this former patent both of the retarding plates or blades were shown as working together; and the object of this application is to provide mechanism for operating both of the retarding-blades at the same time or for operating them one at a time for the purpose of steering the vessel if occasion should require, and these retarding-blades are manipulated entirely' from one shaft.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

, In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the rear portion of a vessel with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents an outside view of the rear portion of a vessel having my improvement applied thereto, a portion of which is broken away to show the interior; Fig. 8, a cross-section through the vessel, showing the operating mechanism; Fig. 4, a rear view of the vessel with the rudder and propeller removed; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the gearing and clutch mechanism.

A represents the retarding plates or blades secured to the outer end of the shafts B, which shafts extend to the interior of the vessel, and these shafts have feathered upon their inner ends each one part of a clutch C.

D represents shafts arranged in alinement with the shafts B, but not connected thereto, and these shafts D have secured upon their rear ends rigidly the other member of the clutches C, and also secured upon these shafts I) are gear-wheels E, which are always in mesh with one another. Secured on the extreme forward end of one of the shafts D is a beveled wheel F, which is always in mesh with another beveled wheel Gr, which is secured upon a shaft H, which extends upward above the deck and is there either provided with a hand-wheel I or is connected with suitable motor power. of the clutches feathered upon the shaftsB is engaged by the lower end of levers J ,which levers are pivoted at the point J intermediate of their two ends. The upper end of the levers extend upward above the deck, where they are manipulated.

The plates A. ,as' in my former patent referred to, are so formed and pivoted that they will normally lie against the rearof the vessel and not project upon'either side; but

when these plates or blades are rotated they may be made to project upon one sidev or the other, or both sides, of the rear of the vessel to a more or less extent, depending upon the extent of the revolution, and when rotated to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 they will presenta resisting-surface upon one side or the other of the vessel, or upon each side, which will act as a drag, and consequently reduce the speed of the boat or cause the saline to veer to .one side or the other if only one plateis rotated.

In operation if it. is desired to rotate both of the blades simultaneously both levers J are manipulated so as to throw the clutch members together, and then by rotating the shaft H the rotary movement will be communicated to both of the shafts B through the gearwheels E; but if it is desired to only manipulate one of the retarding plates or blades one of the levers J is-manipulated soas to only Each of the movable members throw one of the clutches in operation, and then by revolving the shaft H only one of the shafts Bis rotated, and consequently the retarding-plates can be manipulated from the deck,as desired. This is agreat advantage, par- 7 ticularly in the case of accident to the rudder,

when the rudder is damaged or washed away, as the vessel can be easily steered with this device by throwing one or the other of the blades A outward into its operative position, and these blades can be used as an auxiliary device in connection with the rudder, so as to turn the vessel in a much shorter space than could be done with the rudder alone.

For the purpose of indicating to the operator the position of the retarding-plates any convenient means could be utilized for indicating this position upon the deck of the vessel. The means which I have shown in the drawings consists of a plate K, mounted upon the deck, this plate K having represented thereon the outline of the stern of the vessel, and pivoted through this plate are two miniature disks L, representing the retardingplates. These are caused to move in unison with the retarding-plates A by means of thebeveled gearing M, which is operated by chains N, extending downward to sprocketwheels secured upon the shafts B. Thus the operator can see at a glance the position of the retarding-plates.

This device will be a great saving to sailing vessels as well as steamships and-can be used to great advantage at times when the vessel is to be brought alongside of a wharf.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is- 1. In a device of the character described, two shafts upon each side of a boat, extending longitudinally of the boat and protruding from the rear thereof, two plates secured to the outer endof the shafts, said plates normally lying against the rear portion of the boat so as to present no resistance to the water, means located upon the interior of the vessel for rotating the plates outward beyond the sides of the vessel, clutches whereby the shafts may be caused to operate independently or together, and levers for operating the clutches, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the character described, two shafts extending from the interior ofa vessel through the rear portion thereof, plates orblades secured to the outer end of said shafts, said plates or blades so formed as to lie against the rear portion of the vessel so as to present no resistance to the water, clutches arranged upon the interior of the vessel, one member of each of the clutches being feathered upon the shafts, levers for moving said movable members of the clutches, means for rotating the other members of the clutches from one source of power, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the character described, two shafts extending from the interior of a vessel through the rear portion thereof, plates or blades secured to the outer end of said shafts and so formed as to normally lie against the rear portion of the vessel, but when the shafts are rotated said blades will project more or less beyond each side of the rear of the vessel, clu tchesarranged upon the interior of the vessel, one member of each of the clutches feathered upon the shafts, levers for moving said movable members of the clutches, two shafts arranged in alinement with the other shafts but disconnected therefrom, the other members of the clutches secured rigidly to these counter-shafts, a gear-wheel secured to each of the counter-shafts and meshing with one another, a beveled wheel secured to one of the counter-shafts, a second beveled wheel meshing with the other beveledv wheel, said second beveled wheel being secured to a vertical shaft, said vertical shaft adapted to be rotated by a suitable source of power, and means located upon the deck for indicating the1 position'of the retarding-plates, as specifie 4. In a device of the character described, two shafts upon each side of a boat extending longitudinally of the same and protruding from the rear thereof, two plates secured to the outer ends of the shafts, said. plates normally lying against the rear portion of the boat so as to present no resistance to the water, means located upon the interior of the vessel for rotating the plates outward beyond the sides of the vessel, two miniature plates arranged upon the deck of the vessel adapted to operate over a representation of thestern of the vessel, means extending upward from the shafts for rotating said miniature plates so as to indicate to the operator the position of the larger plates, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AARON ZERBE. Witnesses W. H. REINBOLD, GEO. GAGE BENNGER. 

